Thirty-three Attorneys General gathered in San Antonio, Texas, Nov. 29 – Dec. 1 for the annual NAAG Winter Meeting, the only annual meeting for just Attorneys General and their staff. The theme was “Effective Strategies for Serving Constituents: New Realities, New Directions.” The host, Attorney General Greg Abbott and his superb staff rolled out a “Texas-sized” welcome mat and ensured everyone enjoyed their visit.

The Attorney General Planning Committee put together an outstanding program of dynamic and thought-provoking panels and inspiring speakers. Panel topics included “Invasive Species” moderated by Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, “Border Issues and Drug Cartels” moderated by New Mexico Attorney General Gary King, “Photo DNA: Disrupting the Online Spread of Child Pornography” moderated by Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna, and “Human Trafficking: Legal, Policy, and Enforcement Tools for States” moderated by Attorney General Abbott and featuring Academy Award-winning actress and UN Goodwill Ambassador on Human Trafficking Mira Sorvino. U.S. Deputy Attorney General James Cole highlighted the successful partnerships between the U.S. Department of Justice and the Attorneys General, and Theresa Flores, a human trafficking survivor, provided an insightful glimpse into the world of human trafficking and offered an inspiring challenge. The featured guest speaker was baseball legend Cal Ripken Jr., who talked about the inspiration of his father and how that led him to establish the Badges for Baseball program.

The participants heard from their colleagues right from the start in a lively discussion of “Best Practices and Hot Topics” moderated by Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley and Hawaii Attorney General David Louie. Committee reports were provided by Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway and Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen of the Internet Safety Task Force; Attorney General Louie and Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller of the Training Committee; New Hampshire Attorney General Michael Delaney and New Jersey Attorney General Paula Dow of the Eastern Region; and Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and Arkansas Chief Deputy Attorney General Brad Phelps of the Tobacco Committee.

The Association now turns its attention to 2012 NAAG meeting planning.